Metal cleaning and polishing device



Feb. 27, 1923. 1,446,998

J. VINCENT METAL CLEANING AND POLTSHING DEVICE Filed Dec. 5, 1921 attorney;

Patented Feb. 27, I923.

UNITED) STATES JOHN A. VINCENT, 0F SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

METAL CLEANING AN D POLISHING DEVICE.

Application filed December 5, 1921. Serial No. 520,13.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. VINCENT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Metal Cleaning and Polishing Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in. the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to metal cleaning and polishing devices of the kind that are composed of an abrasive fibrous substance and a cleaning agent combined in the form of a pad or article that is intended to be rubbed over metal which it is desired to clean or clean and polish. Y

It has heretofore been attempted to produce a metal cleaning and polishing device, particularly adapted for use on aluminum, by impregnating a piece of steel wool with soap, thus forming a device which is intended to be moistened and then rubbed briskly over the metal to be cleaned. While .a device of the character referred to forms a very efficient means for cleaning and polishing alummum and other metals, it lacks one essential requ1site of a com- -mercially successful cleaning and polishing device that is intended to be used for scouring metal, namely, permanency of form or the ability to successfully withstand disintegration when subjected to a vigorous rubbing action or to moisture followed by a vi orous rubbing action.

he main object of my invention is to provide a device that will successfully clean and polish aluminum and other metals and which is of such construction that it will not crumble easily or disintegrate or break apart long before the end of its'period of usefulness has been reached. Another object is to provide a metal cleaning and polishing device of the kind that comprises a metallic abrasive substance which is of such construction that the metallic abradant will not cut the hand of the person using the device. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

To this end I have devised a device, which, in its simplest form, may be said to consist of a loose mass of metallic abrasive fibrous substance combined with an elastic binder: in such a way as to form a soft,

spongy pad which is intended to be used for scouring, cleaning or polishing surfaces by rubbing it briskly over the same. If desired, the pad may also contain a cleaning agent, such as soap or any of the substances from which soaps are made, and when the pad is constructed in this manner, it is moistened before being rubbed over the metal to be cleaned.

Various metallic abrasive fibrous sub- 7 stances may be used, but I prefer to use commercial steel wool, namely, steel wool which is manufactured for use as. an abradant, owing to the fact that the strands or fibres of such steel wool are tempered, and have sharp cutting edges. Rubber, celluloid or gelatine of the kind that is used in the construction of printlng rolls may be used as the elastic binder to elastically connect together the strands or fibres of the steel wool and prevent the steel wool from disintegrating rapidly when the pad is being used for the purpose for which it is designed. In constructing the pad I use a materially greater quantity of the steel wool than of the elastic binder, so as to produce a pad composed of a loose, soft, spongy mam of steel wool whose strands or fibres are loosely and elastically held together by an elastic birider which permeates the entire mass. If the pad contains a cleaning agent, soap, or any of the substances from which soaps are made, can be mixed with the mass of steel wool which constitutes the bulk or main body of the pad before sald mass is pressed or molded into the form of a pad.

The preferable method of constructing the pad is to mold or press a mass of commercial steel wool into the form of a soft, spongy pad and thereafter treat said pad with an elastic binder, preferably by soakmass and extend around the fibres of the steel wool.

In the drawing there shown, somewhat conventionally, a sectional view of a cleaning and. polishing pad constructed in acc'ordance with my invention. The rubber is indicated at 10, with filaments l1 permeat- A tens it, generally by dipping it'in water, and

thereafter rubs the device briskly over the metal to be cleaned. When the device is provided with soap, the soap softens the dirt on the metal and the abrasive fibrous substance in the device removes the dirt and polishes the metal. The elastic binder prevents the device from disintegrating or breaking apart readily, and consequently, the device can .be used for a long time, or until its maximum period of usefulness has been reached before it has to be discarded. The elastic binder, in addition to preventmg disintegration of the steel. wool, revents the steel woolfrom cutting the hands of the user, and it also imparts suflieient flexibility to the device to insure its con forming accurately to the surface over which. the device is rubbed. In my im proved device no-means is used for preventing the steel wool from rusting, -as I" have discovered that steel wool which is coated with rust is a superior abradant to steel wool that is free from rust. In order to take advantage of the increased abrasive 'qualitles of rusted steel wool and still pro duce a device of attractive appearance, or at The aluminum and other metals the. user hol s the device in one hand and mo1s-' least of unobjectionable appearance, 1 prefer to use an elastic binder of rust color in constructing the device, thereby producing a device of approximately rust color whose appearance is not marred .by an rust that accumulates on the steel woola ter the device has been used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new anii desire to secure by Letters patent is:

1 A metal cleaning device consisting of a soft, spongy pad composed of a loose mass of abrasive metallic wool impregnated with an elastic binder which permeates said mass and elastically connects thestrands or fibres of the same together.

2. A metal cleaning device consisting of a mass of abrasive steel wool pressed into the form of a spongy pad and impregnated with sufficient rubber to prevent said steel wool from disintegrating readily when the device is in use. v

3. A metal cleanlng device conslsting of a soft, spongy pad composed of aloose mass of tempered steel wool whose fibres have sharp cutting edges, and a quantity of rubber mixed with said mass of steelwool and extending through the same so as to tend to prevent the pad from' disintegrating when the device is in use. a

'4. A. metal cleaning device consisting of amass of abrasive metallic woolconstructed inthe form of a soft, spongy pad,an elastic binder composed of filaments of rubherv which extend'between and around'the fibres or strandsof the wool, and a cleaning agent combined with thesubstances that constitute the pad.'

JOHN A. VINCENT. 

